The Secret
by MorganMDW
Summary: We must keep her secret. She will stay in one of the guest rooms. Mina will take care of her. She is not allowed out of this palace. No one must know of her. OC/?
1. Chapter 1

**Ok so I know I'm nowhere near done with WRBC but this has been bugging me and I had to write it out. I hope this will get as many positive reviews as my other story. ^.^**

**Oh and I do not own anyone from the Jak and Daxter games, Naughty Dog does. Though I wish I did own them! Anyone you don't recognize is mine. So without further ado... **

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A young girl, no more than five years of age, is seen running through the bazaar. A shock of blue and silver hair streaks behind her, her blue eyes are wide with fear. Behind her, men dressed in red armor shove their way through the crowds, chasing after her. She may have been young, but the girl knew enough to be afraid of these men. She had seen them take her mother just weeks earlier and now they were back for her.

She could see her grandmother's tent in the distance. She was so close to safety when one of the men lunged at her, tackling her to the ground.

"Pick her up!" one of the men ordered. The girl sat on the ground, crying, as they waited for a Hellcat. People who walked by gave her a look of pity, but no one protested the arrest of the child. No one went against the Krimson Guard.

The Hellcat arrived and the young girl was taken straight to the palace. She was escorted to a great throne room, where a tall, sturdy built man stood with his back turned to them.

"We found the girl Baron Praxis."

The man slowly turned around. The girl shrunk back at his appearance. Half of his face was covered by a metal mask. He had a brown beard and mustache that was streaked with grey, and his brown eye showed no kindness.

"Good," the Baron replied. "Mina!" he called. A woman with blonde hair and hazel eyes rushed over. "Take the girl and clean her up. Then take her to the infirmary. I want her tested as soon as possible."

The woman nodded before scooping up the scared child and leaving the throne room.

Baron Praxis looked at the men around him. "None of this gets out," he told them. "I do not need the people of this city knowing that I have an illegitimate daughter. And don't tell my wife either; she's sick enough as it is." With that the Baron walked out of the room.

A few hours later the young girl sat on an examining table. Mina had bathed her and brought her some new clothes. They were currently waiting for the doctor. Mina looked over at the young child. "Do you have a name, small one?" she asked.

The girl nodded her head.

"Will you tell me it?"

The girl looked at Mina for a long time, studying her soft features and caring expression. Finally deciding that Mina was trustworthy, the girl answered. "Celta."

Just then the doctor walked in. He nodded a greeting to Mina before looking at his patient. He took out a swab and walked up to Celta. "Can you open your mouth, dear?" he asked. The girl stared at him and then at Mina, as if asking what to do.

"It's ok Celta. He's just going to swab your mouth," Mina said, reassuringly.

Reluctantly, Celta turned around and slowly opened her mouth. The doctor swabbed her mouth and then put the swap into a bag. "Here," he said, turning to one of the guards. "Take this to the lab; compare it with the Baron's DNA." He turned back to Celta.

"Thank you Celta. Mina is going to take you to another room now."

Celta nodded before taking Mina's hand and allowing her to lead her through the palace. "You must be tired dear," Mina said, taking Celta into her arms. Celta could only nod before falling into a slumber.

A few hours later the doctor walked into Baron Praxis's meeting room. The Baron was talking to his commander of the Krimson Guard. "Erol is a fine soldier," the commander said. "I'm thinking that I might request for him to be my successor when I retire."

The doctor cleared his throat, capturing the men's attention. "Excuse me Baron Praxis, Commander Parson, but the results from the girl are back."

"Well? What is it? Is she mine?" the Baron demanded.

The doctor hesitated for a moment. "Yes, she is."

"Dammit!" the Baron cried, pounding his fist on the table. He paced around the room, muttering to himself.

"What will you do with her?" Commander Parson asked.

Baron Praxis stopped for a moment, pondering the question.

Finally he answered, "We must keep her secret. She will stay in one of the guest rooms. Mina will take care of her. She is not allowed out of this palace. No one must know of her."

"What about your wife?" the Commander asked.

"She's getting weaker by the day. She will die soon," the Baron answered. "Keep the child as far away from her as possible. And do not let Ashelin know of her either."

Unbeknownst to him, the young girl was just behind the door, listening to the whole conversation, angry tears running down her face.

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**So how was it? Good? Bad? I welcome reviews and constructive crticism!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapte 2! Now there are quite a few scene changes but I divided them up so hopefully it won't confuse you! **

**I don't own Jak or Daxter or any other character in the games... I do own the game, however.**

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Celta awoke to find herself in a large bed. She rubbed her sleepy eyes before looking at her surroundings. The room was large, decorated almost entirely in red like most of the palace. There was a vanity, a dresser, a mirror, and three doors, one to a closet, one to a bathroom, and the final one that led to the hallway. She slipped out of the bed and walked around the room. It wasn't until she passed the mirror that the fog in her mind lifted and she remembered what had transpired just hours ago.

"Momma?" she called out. Panic gripped her as she began to cry. She ran toward the door to the hallway, only to find it locked. She ran back to the bed and jumped in it, burrowing under the covers.

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"You wanted to see me, Sir?" Mina asked as she approached the Baron.

"Yes. Unfortunately, I have learned that that child is mine. I cannot have her running the streets telling people that she is my daughter. You will take care of her and keep her hidden," he said.

"But Sir, she is just a child. Surely she won't understand what is going on."

"Maybe not," he replied, "but her mother and her grandmother do. That's why she must stay hidden. Her mother is here and will be dealt with. Luckily people think her grandmother is crazy, so no one will believe her if she hasn't got any proof."

"Well, then what shall I do about her wardrobe?" Mina asked. "She has no clothes, or possessions for that matter."

"Take some of Ashelin's old things. That mistake deserves nothing, though. She's lucky that I won't kill her. You are dismissed now."

Mina left the Baron and went off to find Ashlin's old clothes and toys. Though she would never express it, she was already worried for the child.

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Ashelin looked out over Haven City, an angry expression on her face. She couldn't believe her ears. Her father had an affair! Now some unknown child was staying at the palace. She had already decided not to tell her mother. The Precursors were already starting to call to her and Ashelin did not want to speed up the process. But maybe there was one way to make her feel better.

Ashelin got up, dusted off her skirt, and crept quietly across the palace to the guest wing. She had watched Mina take the child to the furthest part of the guest wing, away from most people. This narrowed down which room the girl might be in. One by one, Ashelin used her all-access pass to open the doors. She slowly made her way down the hall until she opened the final door. Her ears were met by the whimper of a small child.

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Celta finally managed to get her crying down to a whimper when she her two mechanical beeps and the sound of a lock unlocking. She poked her head out of the covers to see a girl, only four years older than her with red hair and bright green eyes, entering the room.

The other girl spotted her and slowly made her way towards the bed. "Hey little baby," she said, her soft voice dripping with sarcasm.

Celta sniffed defiantly. "I'm not a baby," she said.

"Then why are you crying?" Ashelin asked. Celta did not answer.

"What's your name baby?"

"Celta."

"Do you know why you're here?" Ashelin asked. Celta shook her head.

"You're here because your mommy is trying to ruin my family," Ashline replied. "She's trying to kill my mommy."

Celta shook her head. "Momma wouldn't do that."

"But she did. Because you were born!" Ashline cried, her voice growing harder and louder. "But Daddy doesn't want you! He's gonna keep you locked up until you grow old!"

Celta sat there in shock, listening to the girl yell at her, large tears rolling down her face. "Stop it!" she cried. "Stop it! Go away!"

Ashelin stopped mid-rant and looked at the girl. She slowly clambered off the bed, keeping her eyes on Celta. She walked towards the door, opened it and looked both ways before turning back around. "You're not wanted here baby." With that, the red-head turned her heel and left.

Mina found Celta shortly after, crying in a heap on the bed.

"Oh Celta! Shh shh. It's gonna be ok. You're gonna live here now. I'm gonna take care of you."

This made Celta cry harder. "I want momma," was all she said.

"I know sweetie, I know."

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As the weeks went by, Celta fell into a daily routine. Mina would wake her in the morning with breakfast. She would then bathe and dress. Afterwards Mina would teach her reading, writing, and arithmetic. Mina was pleased to learn that Celta was a fast learner. A guard would bring her lunch and then Mina would go attend to other duties. In that time Celta would either sleep or play with some of Ashelin's old toys. It would also be the time that Ashelin would sneak in to remind Celta that she was different and didn't belong. Then Mina would return to play with Celta. A guard would bring dinner. Mina would read to Celta before putting her to bed. Then the routine repeated the next day.

This went on and Celta was as content as she could be, though she longed for her mother, until something happened. Something very peculiar.

Celta was alone in her room, reading a book, when she heard the lock click. Ashelin walked in with rage in her eyes.

"It's all you fault!" she cried, pointing an accusing finger at Celta. "My mom's dead because of you! You brought this all on! If you weren't alive Mommy would still be here!"

Celta stared in shock. She could not fully comprehend what happened, mostly because of her young age. "I'm sorry," she said, meekly.

"You better be sorry!" Ashelin screamed. Ashelin advanced toward the girl.

"I didn't mean to!" the young girl cried, holding her hands up.

Ashelin was so enraged that she did not notice Celta's hands as they began to glow.

"I'm gonna make you pay!" Ashelin brought down a fist, but instead of meeting the girls face, it met a solid object.

Her eyes opened wide as she looked at Celta. A small blue eco-shield appeared between Celta's small hands, stopping Ashelin's fist just centimeters away from her face. Ashelin stumbled back in surprise, running into Mina.

"Ashelin! What are you doing here?" Mina asked.

"She's a freak!" With that Ashelin ran out of the room.

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**Coolio people. Another chapter done! I wrote the last part so people would know what happened to Ashelin's mother. Has anyone noticed that no one seems to have a mom. They only have dads if they have any parents at all...Reviews and constructive criticism welcome! :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**HaHA!** **Chapter 3! I am posting this super late at night, I just finished proof reading it for the second time! I hope you enjoy it!**

**I own no J and D characters, only Celta and Mina!**

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Mina called for a doctor after recovering from her initial shock. She picked Celta up and set her on the bed, wiping away her tears and whispering reassuring words. "It's ok dear. Ashelin didn't mean it. She's just upset."

"By the Precursors," Mina thought to herself. "A child gifted with eco." A handful of people knew who the child's grandmother was, including Mina. The soothsayer, Onin. She was known for abilities and odd traits, one of them being her hands which dripped blue eco. She looked at the child's hands. They had a slight bluish glow to them.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the doctor rushing in. He took one look at Celta before saying "We must take her to the lab. She could be beneficial to our research."

"She will not be your test rat!" Mina exclaimed, clutching the child. "Just make sure that this is normal… at least… normal for her body."

"You know that the Baron may use her for experiments. It is not up to us," the doctor pointed out.

The woman sighed. "I know."

Over the next few days Celta was examined. They found that the eco came from within her body, speeding up her mind, and her muscles. The doctors stuck to there word, however, and did not test to see what her limits were. They told the Baron of their discovery but after Mina pleaded with him, he promised not to experiment on her… yet.

Life went on in the palace. Ashelin was warned by her father to not tell anyone outside of the palace about Celta, though did nothing to stop her from terrorizing the girl. Celta's life slipped back into its routine. Over the next few years the blue eco inside her seemed to increase. She learned new things with amazing speed and discovered that she could move objects. It started with small items like a pen or a brush, and gradually grew so that she could move her dresser. She also discovered how to move the lock inside the door, allowing her to sneak out and explore the palace. Eventually she was caught and a new, fool-proof door was put up, along with a guard watching the door throughout the days and nights. Celta felt more like a prisoner everyday.

One person she could always count on was Mina. She became Celta's mother figure,teacher, and confidant, and Celta grew to love the woman dearly. She told Mina almost everything, except for the dreams.

As Celta entered her early teenage years, she began having dreams and visions. Most of the visions were short, but they seemed to tell her what was going to happen in the near future. She would see small things like what Mina would show up wearing, when Ashelin would come to tease her, or what food she was going to eat. The dreams, however, puzzled, and sometimes, disturbed her. She would dream of great battles, and of the creator of Haven City, Mar, exactly as her textbooks described them. She also had dreams of the future. Dreams of chaos, poverty, and revolution. Some would have thought that she had an overactive imagination, but she _knew_ that these dreams were reality. One particular reoccurring dream was of a boy falling from the sky. He seemed so familiar to her, though she could not place him.

Her father frequently came to her door, but he never entered her room. He would ask if "the child", as he referred to her, had caused any problems. He would sometimes talk to the guard standing watch if he knew him. Celta heard the Baron talk about two men in particular, one named Erol and the other named Torn. From what she could gather, Torn was new to the Guard but was proving to be a good tactician. Erol had risen quickly through the ranks and was next in line for the Commander of the Krimson Guard position. She decided to ask Mina about the two men.

It was a few days after her 16th birthday that Celta finally asked Mina about the two men. "Who exactly are they?" she asked.

"Torn and Erol? They're two of the Baron's favorite Guards," Mina replied. "I hear Erol is ruthless. He'll do anything Praxis asks him to and won't question it, no matter how horrible it is. A lot of people thinks he's insane, sometimes I think that myself. And from what I hear about Torn, he's an all around good soldier. They say his future in the Guard is bright. I've seen him around a few times. He's a few years older than you. And he's quite a handsome young man if I do say so myself. But I've never seen anyone look so solemn all the time."

Celta finally got to put faces to the names a few weeks later. She had gone to the infirmary so they could look at her eco levels. She had been having more and more dreams, though she never told anyone. However, a large amount of eco seemed to be seeping through her skin which caused some alarm. After running a few scans, the doctor called in Baron Praxis. The two men followed.

"Baron Praxis, Commander Erol, Sergeant Torn," the doctor said, addressing all three men, "Celta seems to have too much eco in her system. She has no way to get it out while she is locked up in her room. I suggest that she does daily exercises to rid her body of excess eco."

The Baron pondered this information before turning around and walking away, motioning for the two men to follow him. "This could prove to be useful," he said. "We can test her limits and see what she can do with her eco powers."

Erol's face became eager. "If she is strong enough then we can use her as a new weapon. We might even be able to create more beings like her. The Metal Heads wouldn't stand a chance!"

"But, she's just a kid," Torn protested. "We aren't really going to use her as a weapon if her powers are strong, are we?"

"We must use whatever we have," the Baron replied. "If she is the key to winning the war, then we must use her to fight. We shall start testing her as soon as possible. Torn, I am assigning you to watch over her progress and report back to me."

"But sir—," Torn started.

Baron Praxis cut him off, "You want to keep moving up, correct Sergeant? Then you will do as I say. This is final." With that, he turned back around and walked over to the doctor, telling him to start exercising Celta's power.

As the men were talking, Celta took the time to study Erol and Torn. Mina was right when she said Erol might be crazy. His amber eyes held a maniacal gleam and his flaming red hair was styled to make him look almost like a mad scientist. He also had two distinct tattoos running from his forehead to right under his eyes. The eager expression on his face showed that he was excited about something, something that more than likely involved her.

Torn on the other hand, had no expression on his face. His turquoise eyes held no emotion as he talked to the men, though a look of concern passed across his features, but only for a second before disappearing. Mina was also right about his features. He was very handsome. His brown hair was pulled back in dreadlocks, and he had tattoos covering his ears and face.

Celta quickly looked back down as the Baron approached the doctor. After exchanging a few words, the doctor turned to Celta. "You will begin your exercises in a week. Sergeant Torn will escort you to a training room and, along with other doctors, will monitor your progress."

Celta's eyes quickly shot over to Torn, who gave her a slight nod, before focusing back on the doctor. "Is that all?" She asked.

"Yes, you are free to go."

Celta hopped of the examining table and quickly made her way to the door. As she was exiting she glanced back behind her to see two turquoise eyes staring back at her.

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**So? How am I doing so far? Reviews are more than welcome! ^.^**


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